How the Upper Ladder can suck
As a child we’ve all had someone explain the metaphor of “Climbing the Corporate Ladder”. It’s how school teachers explain the business process, colleges show wannabe managers the value of starting at the bottom and business magazines/books make you envious of the top of the ladder.
I’ve never been a part of a large company (over 500 people) but have had the envy of those on the top of the ladder. As I travel further along in my career, I’ve been lucky enough to move up a few steps. Starting with the basics and after mastering those being promoted to managing my peers and being in more of a position to influence the direction of different companies.
As nice as that may sound to some of you and a possible achievement through the eyes of our educators and American culture - it’s not always where I want to be.
I miss the ability to code sites, play on the web and in less words - geek out with colleagues. I spend a lot of my time thinking threw business processes, writing large proposals, looking at numbers and how they affect the bottom line and sitting in meetings.
Maybe the next step in the ladder is when you figure out how to lead and manage the business side while still being able to do the other things you love. I’m not sure but it’s not an easy thing to figure out. I don’t care what anyone says.
All that said - I should note that the ladder step I’m on right now does have its advantages and there are some things I wouldn’t want to give up. I just don’t want to be so far removed from the other steps I’ve been on as those also had quite a bit of enjoyment and life of their own.
Pete Says:
Do what you want to do, not what others tell you you’re supposed to do. It’s taken me this long to figure that out.
http://petes.wordpress.com/2006/02/22/so-i-found-a-new-blog-about-ad-stuff/
in reference to-
http://americancopywriter.typepad.com/blog/2005/11/beware_the_tin_.html